


When the Going Get Tough (Call Somebody Else)

by Missy



Category: Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Genre: Adventure, Bonding, Conventions, Costumes, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Missing Persons, Quests, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 21:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5513894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris never really exited the Anderson's orbit after their adventure in Chicago, and now she's been pressed into service by Brad to find a suddenly missing Sara on the eve of their parent's anniversary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When the Going Get Tough (Call Somebody Else)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lizwontcry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizwontcry/gifts).



“This is the worst thing ever,” said Sara Anderson into the receiver of her Moljnir-shaped phone as she tried to keep herself from falling off the edge of her dorm room bed.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve been through worse,” Chris Parker said, trying to sound no-nonsense and encouraging at the same time. Sara had caught her just as she was making her way into the student union for a conference, and balancing her textbooks, her cell phone and a cup of coffee was proving to be perilous. 

It should have been weird, to be talking to her charge about school like she was a peer, but Sara and Chris had always had a relationship of equals, even when she’d been desperately trying to shove cough medicine down her charge’s throat as they sped through downtown Chicago. That Chris had grown up to be a guidance councilor surprised no one.

“No, it’s totally the worst thing ever!” Sara declared. “Ugh, If I fail this stupid thesis just because my professor thinks Thor isn’t a ‘worthy essay subject’ I’m going to quit and transfer majors again.”

“Oh Sarah, don’t; your parents will bug out!”

“Ugh, I know.” Sarah loved her family – that much Chris obviously knew. She also knew that the girl often chafed against the strictures set up for her by her folks, the expectations of normalcy when she wanted to be . “I’m so glad the convention is tomorrow. TGIF, man.”

“Have fun,” Chris instructed her, as if she were the babysitter still. And part of her feels like she’ll always think of Sara that way, as the little girl in the Thor helmet, thrilled to climb a building, thrilling to believe that Thor was a real guy after all. It let her put the girl in a safe mental place so she could get through her TA meeting and a date with an uninterested grunger with a Flock of Seagulls haircut.

###

She might have known that the call would be bad news.

“Chris? It’s Brad…Brad Anderson!”

She’s trying to bag groceries and talk on the phone at the same time. “I know who you are, Brad.” She wouldn’t forget, even if she wanted to.

His next word made her blood turn cold. “Have you heard from Sara? Her dorm mother said she missed bed check last night!”

Instantly, Chris knew what must have happened -.knew that Sara must have ditched to go to the convention, and that something – someone –must be keeping her from returning. “Don’t panic,” she demanded. “I’ll be right there in an hour.”

Chris didn’t remember what she said to her boss – made some excuse about her mother being sick – before running out the door. She floored her way through traffic, making it to Sara’s a dorm in two hours flat.

Brad was still there when she arrived, looking scared out of hi s mind, a boy in a suit with a professional haircut. Chris paused in the doorway as he rattled off news into the phone – wide-eyed he turned in her direction. Once he hung up the words flowed like water.

“Her roommate hasn’t seen her all day.” 

“I’ll drive. We’ll go to Rosemont and…I don’t know, do an announcement, ask around?!”

Brad automatically stood up and moved toward her, squeezed her arm. “It’s going to hbe fine, it has to be…” He was cut off by Sarah’s phone ‘s staccato ringing. “Hello?” he called into the receiver. “MOM!” he squeaked. “What am I doing at Sara’s dorm? Uh..I’m helping her do her laundry! Everything’s fine!” Brad yelled, pasting a tight smile on his face. “I’m totally fine! Everyone’s great, mom!” Chris’ eyes bugged out and he shrugged, gestured at the phone. “We’ll all be there for dad’s retirement dinner, don’t worry. See you soon, love you! Bye!”

Chris practically smacked his shoulder in two when he hung up the phone. “It’s your parent’s anniversary?” Chris hissed. 

“Tonight. Sara and I said we’d meet them in the mile high district.”

“And you had to tell them you were helping her do the laundry!”

“It’s what we she did to me whenever I’d disappear in college!”

“That makes no sense,” Chris complained.

“Sorry, I’m freaking out just a little.”

Chris gathered herself together. The situation required authority, and she was determined to give it. “What we’re going to do is head downtown and start asking around. What are we going to do if we can’t find your sister?”

“Lie and say she went on spring break with Darryl.” Chris continued to boggle at him. Darryl had a start-up internet porn company that involved giving coeds thousands of dollars to take their tops off for his camera; the last thing her parents would want to imagine was their little girl running around Fort Lauderdale with him. “I’m desperate, Chris!”

Her expression firmed, and she grabbed her jacket and opened the door. “Then let’s get less desperate.”

###

The convention center was crowded, filled with sweaty people in various stages of being consumed by the rubber outerwear they were sporting. No one in charge seemed able to help Chris; they had thousands of guests, and they would try to circulate word about Sara, but she would have to canvas the area herself.

“Maybe we should blend in,” Brad suggested, and because she liked him she didn’t tell him that that was a weird idea. But she supposed she stood out in her work uniform. So they rented costumes and tried to track down leads.

Chris ended up in a Wonder Woman outfit, with Brad beside her dressed as Batman. They found themselves taking pictures with kids and trying to plough through the crowd to trace down any leads. But nothing surfaced.

They were two hours from his parent’s dinner starting, and they were both wearing stupid costumes. Brad, in desperation, started digging through the trash in the vain hope that somebody had junked Sarah’s phone, that there was a number, something.

Then his cell started to ring and he tucked it to his ear. “Hello?” Brad almost dropped his phone into the trash. “Sara!” he yelled, and Chris felt her stomach dramatically unknot. “Where are you?” He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, let go of Dave’s hand for six minutes and text me next time. I just wasted hundreds of dollars buying tickets from a scalper just to…”

“Excuse me,” came a voice from over Chris’ shoulder, “Did you say you bought tickets from a scalper?”

Chris caught sight of his badge before she saw his face.

###

“Welp. Worst anniversary ever,” Brad said.

“It’s not like it’s our anniversary,” Chris said, trying to keep herself from making contact with the stain-coated wall behind her.

“It sort of is,” Brad said. “Well, close to it. It’s been ten years since you left the suburbs and five years since I saw you.”

“And twelve since Chicago. Which I’m never driving to again,” Chris vowed.

“Chicago gave us memories,” Brad said. “I think it’s worth the strife and pain we’ve been through, just for that.”

“Anderson! Parker!” the sudden thundercrack – sharp voice of the prison matron who ran the place made them look up. “You’ve been bailed out.”

They didn’t bother to ask who’d done it – and were unsurprised by the sight of the curly-haired girl with a Thor tattoo on her shoulder rounding the corner.

###

They made the dinner two seconds before his parents settled down for the meal. There were hugs and presents, and they were delighted to see Chris, who paid for the meals as an apology.

“I love your costume,” Missus Anderson said. Chris made some excuse up about needing to attend a special screening of the new Wonder Woman pilot at the college. She didn’t ask questions, to Chris’ relief, and she was happy to take the heat so Sara’s folks wouldn’t learn about her defection and her new boyfriend.

It wasn’t quite as great as the great escape they’d made before – but it was one more secret that she and Brad and Sara were happy to gather together to share.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this one! It's one of my fave nostalgic movies too, and I've always wondered if Chris and the Andersons stayed in contact, or would try to maintain that contact years later. My answer ended up being 'oh yes'. Happy holidays!


End file.
